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Beasts Royal: Twelve Tales of Adventure

Patrick O’Brian

Beasts Royal is the second book written by Patrick O’Brian – made available, at last, for the first time since the 1930s and elegantly repackaged.On the indigo waters of the South Sea, the crew of a schooner are attacked by a man-eating tiger-shark. In the humid depths of the African jungle, a thirty-foot python plots to rid himself of his rival, a wily old crocodile. Amid the heat and dust of the Punjab, the snake-charmer Hussein escapes into the forest on the elephant that he trained when a mahout in his youth.With the dry wit and unsentimental precision O’Brian would come to be loved for, we see the drama and tragedies of the natural world unfold for these, as well as other birds and beasts, in these twelve tales of animal adventure that would appear together in 1934 as the author’s second book.O’Brian’s debut, Caesar, had been published in 1930 and became an instant success, seeing him hailed as the ‘boy-Thoreau’. His second novel, Hussein, would expand upon one of the stories included in this collection and has been praised by Martin Booth of The Daily Telegraph as being ‘…as fresh today as when it was written.…so rich in detail, it is breathtaking.’ As with Caesar and Hussein, Beasts Royal sheds fascinating light on the formation of the literary genius behind the Aubrey-Maturin series of historical adventure tales, for which he is deservedly famous.

Be Awesome: Modern Life for Modern Ladies

Hadley Freeman

Hadley Freeman, Guardian features writer and author of the popular ‘Ask Hadley…’ column, reminds the modern lady to ‘Be Awesome’.‘Being single is often awesome. You can leave a party when you want to, whether that be 9pm or 9am; you don't have to live in fear of ever hearing yourself described as “my better half”; and you can spend all day lying on the sofa in your pajamas watching “Murder She Wrote” and eating peanut butter straight out of the jar’Covering topics vital for any modern woman to consider (from ‘How to read women’s magazines without wanting to grow a penis’ to ‘Beyond the armpit: a guide to being a modern day feminist’), ‘Be Awesome’ tackles body image, sex, dating and feminism head on.With an attitude that is unfalteringly funny, smart and surprisingly heartwarming, Hadley Freeman is a voice of sanity that every woman should hear.

Battleaxe: Book One of the Axis Trilogy

Sara Douglass

Epic fantasy in the tradition of Trudi Canavan, Fiona McIntosh and Robert Jordan.A thousand years ago, the people of Achar drove the Forbidden from their lands.But now the northern tribes of the Ravensbund are fleeing south again, with nightmarish tales of creatures who feed upon the terror of their prey. Winter has come early, and with it the promise of war.Axis, bastard son of the dead Princess Rivkah, is sent north to the battlefront at Gorkenfort with his elite Axe-Wielders. Once there, he must hand over command to his hated half-brother, Borneheld, Duke of Ichar and heir to the throne. But during the long journey Axis falls in love with Faraday – Borneheld's betrothed – and finds himself reassessing the very essence of his beliefs.With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Axis must unite the feuding lands under one banner before it is too late and the evil rising in the north engulfs them all for good.

Barefoot in Mullyneeny: A Boy’s Journey Towards Belonging

Bryan Gallagher

Bryan Gallagher's reminiscences of the Ireland of his youth, first heard on Radio 4's 'Home Truths', transport you to a world of boyhood pranks, playground politics and the confusion of growing up in a land that is every bit as magical and captivating as the stories he has to tell.Barefoot in Mullyneeny is Bryan Gallagher's evocative tale of a childhood remembered through the people and landscape of Fermanagh, near the beautiful shores of Lough Erne in Ireland. Bryan chronicles a time when all the big boys went to school in bare feet and secretly watched the Saturday night bands and dances in halls lit by Tilley lamps; where it was known to be nothing less than the biblical truth that if you put a horse-hair across the palm of your hand when you were about to be punished at school, the cane would split in two.Gallagher's writing will touch the hearts of those who long for the innocence of childhood and the simplicity of an era long past. Whether relating tales of murderous bicycle chases through the darkened streets of Cavan, of ghosts and fairy forts or the anguish of emigration, this remarkable memoir vividly recreates life in rural Ireland in the 1940s and 50s.For those who thought that life in Ireland was one of the poverty and misery of James Joyce or Frank McCourt, Barefoot in Mullyneeny offers a view of the Ireland of yesteryear that combines the touching, homely nostalgia of Nigel Slater's Toast and Laurie Lee's Cider with Rosie with a humorous optimism that is unmistakably Ireland at its best.

Bad Sister: ‘Tense, convincing… kept me guessing’ Caz Frear, bestselling author of Sweet Little Lies

Sam Carrington

Sisters. Allies. Liars.The gripping new thriller from the author of Saving Sophie.Stephanie is scared for her life. Her psychologist, Connie Summers, wants to help her face her fears, but Connie will never really understand her. Stephanie’s past has been wiped away for her own protection. Stephanie isn’t even her real name. But then, Dr Summers isn’t Connie’s real name either.And that’s not all the women have in common. As Stephanie opens up about her troubled relationship with her brother, Connie is forced to confront her own dark family secrets.When a mutilated body is dumped in plain sight, it will have devastating consequences for both women.Who is the victim?Who is to blame?Who is next?Gripping, tense and impossible to put down, Bad Sister will have fans of Sue Fortin, B A Paris and Linda Green hooked till the final page.Praise for Saving Sophie‘This book is not only gripping, but it explores the mother/daughter relationship perfectly, and ends with a gasp-out-loud twist’ Closer‘I DEVOURED THIS STORY IN ONE SITTING’ Louise Jensen, author of The Sister

Bad Food Britain: How A Nation Ruined Its Appetite

Joanna Blythman

Award-winning investigative food journalist, Joanne Blythman turns her attention to the current hot topic – the state of British food.What is it about the British and food? We just don’t get it, do we? Britain is notorious worldwide for its bad food and increasingly corpulent population but it’s a habit we just can’t seem to kick.Welcome to the country where recipe and diet books feature constantly in top 10 bestseller lists but where the average meal takes only eight minutes to prepare and people spend more time watching celebrity chefs cooking on TV than doing any cooking themselves, the country where a dining room table is increasingly becoming an optional item of furniture. Welcome to the nation that is almost pathologically obsessed with the safety and provenance of food but which relies on factory-prepared ready meals for sustenance, eating four times more of them than any other country in Europe, the country that never has its greasy fingers out of a packet of crisps, consuming more than the rest of Europe put together. Welcome to the affluent land where children eat food that is more nutririonally impoverished than their counterparts in South African townships, the country where hospitals can sell fast-food burgers but not home-baked cake, the G8 state where even the Prime Minister refuses to eat broccoli.Award-winning investigative food journalist Joanna Blythman takes us on an amusing, perceptive and subversive journey through Britain's contemporary food landscape and traces the roots of our contemporary food troubles in deeply engrained ideas about class, modernity and progress.

Bad Birthdays: The Truth Behind Your Crappy Sun Sign

Sarah Fu Christensen

The truth behind your crappy sun sign.Sick of reading the perky promises and positive affirmations that apply to your sun sign and then having a crappy week? After perusing your sun sign, are you the person who always moans, “I am soooooooo not a typical Aquarius!” If so, then Bad Birthdays is the antidote to your mistrust in the world of the zodiac.Revealing the truth (whether you like it or not) about your shitty star sign, Bad Birthdays uncovers the true quirks, oddities, and unpleasant nasties that characterize your unlucky sign of the zodiac and rule your destiny. When it comes to love, do you think that watery Pisces are naturally romantic lovers? Think again – if you’re unfortunate enough to have a relationship with a Plagued Pisces or a Contemptible Cancer, you’re in trouble. Reference the relationships sections to rate your compatibility with other star signs, or at least highlight where the cracks are going to show.With special sections detailing which unlucky personalities you share your birthday with, as well as unfortunate events that might have happened on your birthday, Bad Birthdays contains all you’ll never need to know about your sign.So whether you’re a Cursed Capricorn, a Tragic Taurus, or a Lousy Libra, we’re all doomed to a destiny that is far less peachy than everyday astrologers would have us believe.

Babycalming: Simple Solutions for a Happy Baby

Caroline Deacon

This book will show you how to soothe your baby and solve any problems you may come across with sleeping, feeding, crying and colic. Drawing on her experience as a mother and advisor to the NCT, Caroline Deacon has devised a simple but effective 3-step plan to help parents understand and care for their baby’s needs without neglecting their own.Summary of contents• The three basic universal needs of both parent and child are comfort, sleep and food. Caroline Deacon works with these three needs to bring you her three-step plan.• Written in five parts, the first three explain and address the needs of:1) newborns 2) from six weeks 3) from six months 4) from the toddler years. The fifth part focuses on colic and babies who cry a lot, giving parents clear guidance and practical solutions.• Includes other parents' shared experiences, providing empathy as well as practical advice.

At Your Mercy: Tales of Domination

Various

Restraint, bondage, corporal punishment, domination and submission: thrilling encounters and the kinkiest pleasures. ‘At Your Mercy’ features hot new erotica from Primula Bond, Penny Birch, Valerie Grey, Rachel Kramer Bussel, and Sommer Marsden.Penny loses at cards and her forfeit is to become the slave of Edmund and his friends for a day.When Jessie can’t pay her bill in a restaurant, the owner devises a unique payment plan.Annabel’s reputation as an ice maiden only thaws when a daring barman dares to light her fuse.

Apocalypse 2012: An optimist investigates the end of civilization

Lawrence Joseph E.

Is the world really coming to an end in 2012? The answer frighteningly is ‘maybe’, according to the Bible, the I Ching, the Mayans, meteorologists and vulcanologists. Apocalypse 2012 is cheerful sceptic Laurence E Joseph’s investigation into the 2012 Doomsday phenomenon.Journalist and science writer Laurence E Joseph is our incisive and witty guide unravelling the religious, astrological and mystical prophecies behind the potentially earth-shattering events of 2012. And at the core of this book is Joseph's investigation into the growing number of scientific researchers trying to figure out why conditions around our planet are becoming so bizarre.His adventures include:• Hooking up with the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement whose cheerful motto 'Live Long and Die Out' is now available as a tattoo.• Meeting the scientists who are trying to figure out why the present state of the sun is so worrisome – is it just going through a phase or is something major going on?• Visiting Yellowstone National Park to see whether the seething supervolcano could soon stop civilisation dead in its tracks.• Exploring the possibility of a terrorist attack that could plunge the whole Northern Hemisphere into the equivalent of a nuclear winter.So, if 2012 really is going to be a year of unprecedented catastrophe, what can we do to increase our odds of surviving it? Should we head for the Kentucky hills or hightail it to Western Africa, where the Australian Doomsday 2012 enthusiast is staking his claim, or perhaps we'd be better blasting off for solar systems unknown?With its mixture of hard science, investigative reportage and cast of colourful characters, Apocaplyse 2012 is Fast Food Nation for the terminally paranoid.